1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a PC (Personal Computer) card connector to be provided in an apparatus that is used with a PC card loaded therein, and more particularly, to an improvement in an eject mechanism for disconnecting a PC card loaded in a connector from pin contacts.
2. Description of the Related Art
A PC card (memory card) for use in a notebook personal computer and the like is loaded into and unloaded from a PC card connector for its exclusive use. Since standardization of the shape of the PC card, and dimensions, arrangement and the like of pin contacts in the PC card connector has recently proceeded, it is expected that general versatility of products of the same type and demands therefor will be rapidly increased.
The PC card connector generally includes a pin header in which a plurality of pin contacts to be connected to socket contacts in a PC card are arranged in a pin housing, a frame for guiding the PC card during loading and unloading, an eject mechanism for disconnecting the loaded PC card from the pin contacts, and the like. The pin housing and the frame may be molded in one piece. The eject mechanism includes a push-rod to be pressed for unloading the PC card, an eject lever pivotally supported and engaged with the push-rod at one end thereof, and the like. The basic structure of the conventional eject mechanism will be described below.
The push-rod is assembled to the side of the frame for guiding the PC card so that it can reciprocally move along the PC card insertion and extraction directions, the eject lever having at one end a protrusion for pushing out the PC card is pivotally mounted at a fixed position on the frame or the pin housing, and the other end of the eject lever is engaged with the rear end of the push-rod, whereby the eject mechanism is constructed. According to this structure, if the push-rod is pressed when the PC card is loaded in the connector, the eject lever is caused to pivot and the protrusion thereof is caused to move forward. Then, one end of the socket contact side end face (hereinafter referred to as pin connecting face) of the PC card is pushed by the protrusion and disconnected from the pin contacts, which allows the PC card to be easily drawn out in the forward direction by the fingers. When the PC card is inserted into the connector for connection to the pin contacts, it pushes in the protrusion and causes the eject lever to pivot in a reverse direction to disconnection, thereby moving the push-rod forward.
In another conventional eject mechanism, a drive lever engaged at one end with the rear end of a push-rod is pivotally mounted at a fixed position on a frame or a pin housing, and the other end of the drive lever is coupled to a slider that has protrusions at both ends and is reciprocally movable along the PC card insertion and extraction directions. This eject mechanism converts the pivot motion of the drive lever into the linear motion of the slider. If the push-rod is pressed when the PC card is loaded in the connector, the two protrusions of the slider push both ends of the pin connecting face of the PC card in the extraction direction.
The former eject mechanism mentioned above pushes one end of the pin contacting face of the PC card by using the protrusion formed on one end of the eject lever that is engaged with the push-rod at the other end. Therefore, the PC card cannot be pushed straight in the extraction direction by the protrusion, that is, it is pushed while being pressed against the push-rod side of the frame. As a result, the unloading operation is not performed smoothly and the PC card itself is apt to be damaged.
On the other hand, the latter eject mechanism mentioned above pushes both ends of the pin contacting face of the PC card by using two protrusions formed on the slider that is drivingly connected to the push-rod via the drive lever. Therefore, the PC card can be pushed almost straight in the extraction direction by the resultant force generated by the two protrusions, and unloading can be performed smoothly. In this case, however, a high-precision guide mechanism capable of ensuring a required clearance is needed in order to linearly move the slider in the PC card insertion and extraction directions, and the slider is required to have high dimensional accuracy and a long slide path, which complicates the structure and hinders size reduction of the mechanism.